Shower

ABSTRACT

Shower system includes a recirculation shower defining a recirculation flow path and at least one temperature sensor. A tap is spaced from the recirculation flow path and arranged to supply water to the recirculation flow path, the tap being connected to a source of heated tap water. A control unit controls water temperature and/or flow rate of a water flow dispensed from the tap, in response to a signal received from the temperature sensor.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a national stage of International patentapplication Ser. No. PCT/NL2016/050910, filed Dec. 22, 2016, andpublished in English as WO 2017/111593.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates to a shower system with a recirculation shower.Such recirculation showers are mainly used as wellness showers. With alimited amount of water a much higher water flow rate can be dispensedvia the shower head. Usually, the wellness showers also comprise aconventional shower, so a user may first wash himself and then, afterthe used soapy water has been rinsed away, the user can switch over tothe recirculation shower for enjoying the comfort of a wellness shower.

In a wellness shower due to the high circulation rate, the recirculatedwater cools relatively quickly. A thermostatic mixer tab is used to mixthe recirculated flow with fresh hot water in order to keep thetemperature at a desired level. This creates a risk that water from therecirculation flow might contaminate tap water in the public watersupply network. Most jurisdictions require a strict separation of thepublic water supply network from any source of possibly polluted water,such as recirculation water in a Jacuzzi bath. SUMMARY a shower systemincludes a recirculation shower defining a recirculation flow path andat least one temperature sensor. A tap is spaced from the recirculationflow path and arranged to supply water to the recirculation flow path,the tap being connected to a source of heated tap water.

A control unit controls water temperature and/or flow rate of a waterflow dispensed from the tap, in response to a signal received from thetemperature sensor.

This configuration allows to maintain the water temperature at a setlevel by mixing fresh hot or cold water into the recirculation flow pathduring a recirculation shower bath. A strict separation is maintainedbetween the recirculation flow and the tap, so any possiblecontamination of tap water in the public water supply network isprevented. The configuration meets the requirements of the strictestregulations in any country. The fresh water can be mixed continuously orintermittently. This way the water can be kept at a desired temperatureand the water of the recirculation flow can be gradually refreshed.

The temperature sensor allows an accurate control of the watertemperature in the recirculation flow. Flow rate and/or temperature ofthe water from the tap can be adjusted in response to signals from sucha temperature sensor.

In a specific embodiment the recirculation shower includes a watercollection reservoir with an overflow outlet, a shower head and arecirculation line fluidly connecting the water collection reservoir andthe shower head. A pump circulates water from the water collectionreservoir to the shower head. The recirculation flow path is formed bythe water collection reservoir, the recirculation line, the shower headof the recirculation shower and a shower jet dispensed from the showerhead returning the water to the water collection reservoir.

The tap has an outlet above the level of the overflow outlet, forinstance above the water collection reservoir, or above a gutter or thelike leading to the water collection reservoir. Tap water from the tapis collected in the water collection reservoir. To prevent contaminationof tap water by splashes of recirculated water the tap may for instancebe arranged with a gap above the highest possible water level in thewater collection reservoir, i.e., the water level in the watercollection reservoir when the drains are clogged. The gap between thetap outlet and the maximum water level may for example be at least 2 cm.

The shower system comprises at least one temperature sensor, e.g., inthe recirculation line and/or the water collection reservoir. The tapcan be a thermostatically controlled hot and cold water mixing tap.

Preferably, the tap is hidden from view and shielded from the shower jetand from splashing during showering, for instance by means of a panel,such as the front panel presenting a user interface for user control ofthe shower system.

Optionally, the shower system may also comprise a conventional secondshower with a shower head operatively connected to the public watersupply network separate. The second shower should be separate from thewater flow circuit of the recirculation shower. According to regulationsin some countries such a conventional tap water shower should be out ofreach of the shower jet dispensed by the recirculation shower, when theshower is in the stowed position.

A user interface may be provided allowing the user to switch between acirculation flow and a drained flow. To this end the shower system maycomprise a drain and a controllable drain valve for selectivelypositioning the drain in a drain position, to allow drainage ofessentially all spent water, or in a high water level position, allowingcollecting of sufficient water to enable a recirculation flow. When theuser uses the conventional shower, the valve can be opened and the pumpin the recirculation line is switched off. Water flows from the showerhead of the conventional shower to the drain.

A user will typically wish to wash himself first using the conventionalshower. After washing he may wish to switch over to the recirculationshower to experience the wellness effect of a circulation flow,typically having a much larger flow rate than a water flow from aconventional shower. However, to enable a recirculation flow, the watercollection reservoir should contain a sufficient amount of water.Therefore, the control unit may be configured to open the tap and toclose the drain valve when a user switches from drained flow to acirculation flow. The tap will provide the required water level in thewater collection reservoir. Subsequently, the pump can be activated tocirculate the collected water, e.g., by the user, by a timer or by acontrol unit in response to a signal from a level sensor in the watercollection reservoir.

During filling of the water collection reservoir, a user may wish toproceed with showering and to have an uninterrupted shower bath. To thisend, the control unit may be configured to switch off the conventionalshower only after a sufficient amount of water has been collected in thewater collection reservoir. To this end, the water collection reservoirmay contain a sensor level. The control unit may switch off theconventional shower and activate the pump in response to a signal fromthe level sensor detecting a predefined level in the water collectionreservoir. The water collection reservoir is then filled not only by thetap but also by the conventional shower, so the required water level inthe collection reservoir is reached much earlier. The conventionalshower can be switched off simultaneously with the activation of thepump or shortly thereafter, for instance gradually.

To ensure effective pumping directly from the moment of activation ofthe pump, the pump may be provided with an inlet in the water collectionreservoir below the level of the overflow outlet. This way, the inlet isdirectly in communication with the water in the water collectionreservoir at the moment of activation. To prevent entrance of spentsoapy water into the pump inlet when the user uses the conventionalshower, the pump inlet is above the level of the drain of the watercollection reservoir.

During circulation flow, excess water can be discharged from the watercollection reservoir via the overflow outlet with a flow ratesubstantially corresponding to the flow rate of the tap, apart fromwater spilt by splashing or evaporation during showering.

The water reservoir may have a bottom forming a floor for the showersystem, supporting a user during showering. Alternatively, the reservoirmay be a basin below a shower floor, e.g., hidden from view for a user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the invention will be further explained with reference to theaccompanying drawing, showing an exemplary embodiment of a shower.

FIG. 1: shows schematically an embodiment of a shower system;

FIG. 2: shows in detail a tap of the shower system of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a wellness shower system 1. The shower system 1 combines arecirculation shower 2 with a separate conventional shower 3, bothhaving shower heads 4, 5 arranged above a water collection reservoir 6.The conventional shower 3 may for example be a hand shower to be stowed,e.g., by hooking it to a hook at a wall of the shower cabin. In thestowed position, the shower head 4 of the conventional shower 3 is outof reach of the shower jet dispensed by the recirculation shower 2.

The shower system 1 comprises a water collection reservoir 6 with anoverflow outlet 7. A recirculation line 8 fluidly connects the watercollection reservoir 6 to the shower head 5 of the recirculation shower2. A pump 10 is arranged in the water collection reservoir 6 to pumpwater from the water collection reservoir 6 via the circulation line 8to the shower head 5 of the recirculation shower 2.

In use a shower jet 9 dispensed from the shower head 5 recirculateswater to the water collection reservoir 6. Hence, the water collectionreservoir 6, the recirculation line 8, the shower head 5 and the showerjet 9 define a recirculation flow path of the recirculation shower 2.

The shower system 1 comprises a thermostatically controlled hot and coldwater mixing tap 12 connected to a supply line 13 for hot tap water anda supply line 14 for cold tap water. Proportional valves 16 in thesupply lines 13, 14 are configured to regulate the flows in the supplylines 13, 14 to obtain tap water of a desired temperature. The tap 12has an outlet at a gap distance H, e.g., of at least 2 cm, above thehighest possible water level W1 in the water collection reservoir 6shown with a dotted line in FIG. 1—which is the water level when thedrains are clogged and the water cannot be discharged via the outlet 7.

The tap 12 is hidden from view by a front panel 15. The front panel 15also shields the tap 12 from the shower jet and from water splashingduring a shower bath. The front panel 15 may for example present a userinterface for user control of the shower.

The conventional shower 3 is operatively connected to the public watersupply network with hot and cold water supply lines 20, 21 which arestrictly separated from the recirculation flow. A motorized thermostat22 allows a user to maintain the shower water at a desired temperatureselected via a user interface at the front panel 15.

The user interface communicates with a control unit (not shown) allowinga user to switch between a circulation flow via the recirculation shower2 and a drained shower flow via the conventional shower 3.

The wellness shower system 1 further comprises a drain 24 fordischarging spent water overflowing the overflow outlet 7. The overflowoutlet 7 forms a controllable drain valve selectively movable between adraining position allowing unhindered discharge of water via the drain24, and a water collection position where it forms a weir bordering thedrain 24, as shown in FIG. 1. In this position, water is collected inthe water collection reservoir 6 until a level W2 corresponding to theheight of the overflow outlet 7.

When a user uses the conventional shower 3, the control unit activatesthe overflow outlet 7 to open the drain 24. The user can wash himselfwith soap and the spent soapy water is drained via the open drain 24.

After finishing washing the user may switch over to the recirculationshower 2 via the user interface. The control unit activates the drainvalve 25 to close the drain 24 and opens the tap 12, but does not yetswitch off the conventional shower 3. Water is collected in the watercollection reservoir 6 until a level sensor 27 in the water collectionreservoir 6 detects that the water lever in the water collectionreservoir 6 has reached a desired minimum level. At that moment the pump10 is activated and the circulation flow starts. After starting up thecirculation flow the conventional shower 3 is switched off. This way theshower bath is not interrupted during switching from drained flow tocirculation flow.

The user can select and set the water temperature via the userinterface. During circulation flow the recirculated water tends to cooldown. To maintain the water temperature at the selected level, the tap12 mixes hot water into the water collected in the water collectionreservoir 6, e.g., continuously or intermittently. A temperature sensor18 is provided in the recirculation line 8. The flow rate and/ortemperature of the water from the tap 12 is adjusted in response tosignals from the temperature sensor 18.

During circulation flow, excess water is discharged from the watercollection reservoir via the overflow outlet 7 with a flow ratesubstantially corresponding to the flow rate of the tap 12 minus thevolume of water spilt by splashing or evaporation during recirculation.

The pump 10 has an inlet 29 in the water collection reservoir 6 belowthe level of the overflow outlet 7, so its suction side is filled withwater at the moment the pump 10 is activated. The pump inlet 29 is abovethe level of the drain 24 of the water collection reservoir 6 in orderto avoid ingress of spent soapy water when the user uses theconventional shower 3. A filter filters water entering the inlet 29 ofthe pump 10. The inlet 29 of the pump 10 is between the tap 12 and theoverflow outlet 7 to minimize any flow from the tap 12 directly to theoverflow outlet 7.

A UV-source 32 is integrated in the circulation line 8 to clean thecirculated water from microorganisms, for as far as necessary. Aproportional valve in the recirculation line 8 can be used to regulatethe flow rate of the recirculation shower 2.

The shower system 1 also comprises a floor 33 for supporting a usermaking use of one of the showers 2, 3. The water collection reservoir 6is formed by a recessed portion of the floor 33. The front panel 15forms part of a casing or housing of the shower system 1 overhanging thewater collection reservoir 6 to hide it from a user's view.

FIG. 2 shows the tap 12 and its position behind the front panel 15 inmore detail. Near the maximum water level W1 the front panel 15 has asubstantially horizontal section with an opening 34 bordered by aconical collar 35. The tap 12 projects into the space confined by thecollar 35.

During a shower bath water may enter the housing of the shower system 1.To protect the tap 12 from contamination by such leaking water the tap12 is provided with a skirt 36 covering the collar 35.

1. A shower system, comprising: a recirculation shower defining arecirculation flow path and at least one temperature sensor; a tapspaced from the recirculation flow path and arranged to supply water tothe recirculation flow path, the tap being connected to a source ofheated tap water; a control unit for controlling water temperatureand/or flow rate of a water flow dispensed from the tap, in response toa signal received from the temperature sensor.
 2. The shower systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the recirculation shower comprises: awater collection reservoir with an overflow outlet; a shower head; arecirculation line fluidly connecting the water collection reservoir andthe shower head; a pump for circulating water from the water collectionreservoir to the shower head, wherein the tap has an outlet above thelevel of the overflow outlet.
 3. The shower system according to claim 1,wherein the tap comprises a thermostatically controlled hot and coldwater mixing tap.
 4. The shower system according to claim 1, comprisinga panel shielding the tap from the recirculation flow path.
 5. Theshower system according to claim 4, wherein the panel has a front sidepresenting a user interface for user control of the shower system. 6.The shower system according to claim 1, wherein the tap has an outletabove the highest possible water level in the water collectionreservoir.
 7. The shower system according to claim 1, comprising asecond shower operatively connected to the public water supply networkseparate from the recirculation flow path.
 8. The shower systemaccording to claim 7, comprising a user interface allowing a user toswitch between a recirculation flow and a drained flow, the showersystem comprising a drain and a controllable drain valve which canselectively be positioned in a drain position or a high water levelposition.
 9. The shower system according to claim 8, comprising acontrol unit configured to open the tap and to position the drain valvein the high water level position when a user switches over to arecirculation flow.
 10. The shower system according to claim 9,comprising a level sensor in the water collection reservoir, wherein thecontrol unit is further configured to switch off the second shower andto activate the pump in response to a signal from the level sensordetecting a predefined level in the water collection reservoir.
 11. Theshower system according to claim 1, wherein the pump has an inlet in thewater collection reservoir below the level of the overflow outlet. 12.The shower system according to claim 11, wherein the pump inlet is abovethe level of the drain of the water collection reservoir.